Figuring out who you are?

HELLO! 

Don't faint.  I know it's a long overdo post!  

I saw a great sign today and had to share.  It stopped me in my tracks.  It said "Don't try to figure out who you are CHOOSE who you want to become".  That hit me.  From time to time I say WHO AM I ANYMORE?  Where did Stephanie go?  I'm a mom, a wife, but who AM I?  So I guess the answer is I'm whoever I choose to be.  We can make changes at any age!  If I want to be giving, loving, a mother my kids look up to and admire, a wife my husband is proud of, a person who works out, a person who is always on time, a person who is organized..... the list goes on and on.  Bottom line is if I CHOOSE to be that person I can become that.  If it is important to me and that is the person I want to be I can be that.  So I don't need to sit and try to think about WHO I am..  I am whoever I choose to be.  (within limits obviously)  I mean......  I'd love to be a singer like Faith Hill!  But ya know, God didn't bless me with those vocals!  I COULD go work on my singing and become a better singer...  But you all know what I mean.

So who do you CHOOSE to be?

Ciao Bellas

~Momma~

EVERYTHING IS AMAZING AND NOBODY IS HAPPY

My son called me Friday from college.  When he was home he and my daughters would spend hours (calling us in constantly) watching funny you tube video's.  Well, Friday he said there was a you tube video I just had to watch...and he wanted me to put it on and watch it while I talked to him....


I laughed so hard... I honestly didn't know what to expect, figured it was something silly but this flat cracked me up...  I had to share it with Hunk when he got home...and the girls gathered round to watch it again (they watched it when I watched it the first time)...  Hunk was cracking up...


I think if you are "of a certain" age, it will make you laugh even more....  He's talking about all this technology we have and yet nobody is happy....it's hysterical....  And it took me back to a time, not so far ago, where things were a lot different....  It's so easy to forget how quickly technology has changed..  The cell phone (since we install and work on communications tower) is something I am aware of on a daily basis but there is so much we take for granted...


Hunk and I got such a laugh I just had to share with you all... (I'm like the kids... "Come in here YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!!")

By the way.... When my son called on Friday he had me go on my computer and he called me on FaceTime on my computer from his...Talk about technology! Was awesome to see his cute little face!  His hair is so short and he looks like he's aged a year in the last month!


Hope you enjoyed the video....  Is that so true or what??


~Ciao Bellas~


~Momma~

My Facebook Page Blew up from this Post

This totally throws me under the bus BUT.....


My nephew reads stories at school (1st grade) and he has to explain how he relates to the story.  Our trip to Maui last summer I got knocked down by a wave (some of you may remember the video....I'll share again)....  So when my sweet little, adorable, love him so much I can't stand it, nephew was asked and recorded by my sister last night, how this story related to him, this is what he said.... (and she sent to it me).....  Keep in mind a story last year reminded him of this too and he told the story to his class last year.  My sister was working in the class when it was time to share the story..... She by the way was laughing to hard she was crying....


So here is last night's video... (Please remember to scroll down on the right hand side of the page and pause the music to hear the video)

Now what is he talking about?  Well, my sister got that on video too.  In fact I posted about it after it had happened.  For those of you who don't remember OR who just feel like a good laugh (at my expense) today click here to watch.   I have to also say on my sisters behalf that she hates that she said OMG in the video she would want me to tell you that.

What I would like to point out is the my little sister BLESS HER HEART was laughing in both videos that she taped...  She just felt so sorry for me...

Have a great day!


Ciao Bellas~
~Momma~

California Lake Day

I think everyone needs a lake day from time to time.


Hunk and the girls are always "game" for taking the boat out.  I'm usually feeling "too tired" or "not in the mood"...  But one thing is always true......every time I step up and go with them I have a great time.  It's so fun and really refreshing on a hot California summer day....


When you have had a long day it really helps to sip a nice glass of cold wine on the boat while you watch your Rugrats cry because dad pushed them in kneeboard, wakeboard or just swim around. 

Ahhhhh.....  Relaxation time has begun..... Thank you Jesus for blessing me with wine living on this lake....

Kneeboarding anyone? I don't allow photos of my fat butt bikini body out there kneeboarding....  This is just not (usually) that kind of blog....The kind where I humiliate myself

And my Hunk is going back in the water....  


I may or may not be sitting at the back of the boat enjoying my glass of wine.....

My little rugrat kneeboarding......  I think she could do it all night...

Still going at it..... Little Sister sits watching for the thumbs up (go faster Dad) or the thumbs down (go slower Dad)  OR her favorite....the CRASH...


Since we are on a private lake it's so much more relaxing for this spazin mom because we are the only boat on the lake....  Unless the neighbor comes out, but we take turns, so we each always have the lake to ourselves...

After all that wine swimming, it's time to head to the barn for a yummy Hunk bbq'd ribeye steak and Grilled Peppers and watermelon... 

Bambi in my front yard

When I crawl jump out of bed in the morning and head for my coffee pot it always puts a smile on my face when I look out my slider and see this b-e-a-utiful scenery.

Aren't they adorable??

Momma and baby...

 

I just can't stop taking pictures of them...

How precious is that????  I had to step out onto the porch to get a closer look..

 

Do you see him peaking at me around the rock?  He's like "Oh crud! Someone is on that patio!"

 

He went back behind the rock and then peeked around the other side of the rock at me...  

 

Yes, sweetie, I'm still watching you....

 

He realized I'm harmless....

Feel so blessed to live in the mountains where I get to see all God's creatures roaming around....Except when it's a bear in my backyard or a mountain lion at my tank house then I freak a little 

~Ciao Bellas~

Vail, Colorado

Some more photos of our trip to Vail, Co.

When we left my sisters house it was raining...I'm like......June? Really? The weather has been so crazy this year!  It's almost July and it was raining in California today.  Hope it's good weather tomorrow.  We fly back home tomorrow afternoon.

Oh ya, I was talking about Vail.......  It is soooooooooo worth the trip!!  Do not however get a haircut there without double checking the price!!  Holy Cow!

So beautiful....  I was driving (of course cuz I'm a SPAZ BACKSEAT DRIVER and my sister doesn't like to drive in the mountains!!) but my sister was snapping photos! 

The closer we got to Vail it started to look a lot more like Christmas (in June)

The kids have been holding their breath through tunnels since we have been here but this one was loooooonnnngg....... no way they could do it.... But they tried.  ha ha

We came out the other side of the tunnel to it SNOWING!!  It was crazy.  So much fun!!

Beautiful views all the way in and WE MADE IT!!

We stayed at the Lodge at Vail and it's location was PERFECT!!!  We just walked out the back door right into the village.  Lot's of shops and restaurants. YES,it's so all about the food.

Our kitchen....

And another shot showing part of the living room and the kitchen.  We had a real wood burning fireplace but we never used it. We had one bedroom with two twin beds and a bathroom downstairs and upstairs were two bedrooms. One with two queen size beds and a bathroom and one with a king size bed and a bathroom.  Was perfect for going with kids or a group of adults.  They also have two pools and a great restaurant.  I've never in my life had eggs so fluffy that they actually melt in your mouth!  We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the great weather. 

This was our view from our balcony.  It looked down on the village.  It had a few chairs out there to kick back and people watch relax in.

My nephew and my son and youngest rugrat.

We had a great time!  It was different going in the summer and with the rugrats this time and also during the fall the color is very beautiful here.  You can go here and see my last trip there.  We had a blast!!  BUT Vail is fun and beautiful anytime of the year and with or without children.  I'm thinking maybe Christmas?? 

Hunk told me I'm already planning my next vacation while I'm still on a vacation....but I LOVE to travel!!!!  I'm all over the place in my head.....always searching for great places to go.

Where should we go next???  Where is your favorite vacation spot?

~Ciao Bellas~

~Momma~

OUR VISIT TO COLORADO- VAIL AND MOUNT EVANS

The day after my sons wedding my girls flew back with my sister, her hubby and son to Colorado.  They went up to Mount Evans.  My oldest daughter (thinking it's summer time and being a California girl) only brought shorts... And did I mention she has no fat on her tiny body...........If she wasn't 13 and my daughter I may not like her for that....NOT JUST KIDDING.....

Because of her lack of body fat and lack of proper clothing AND elevation level her lips were BLUE. 

 My sister, my girls, my nephew and my brother in-law.

 Isn't it beautiful!!??!

 I LOVE waterfalls!

Fast forward to the next day and back down to Denver elevation and the weather was a bit nicer so my brother in-law and sister set up the slip-n-slide for the kids.

Then they played ball with their cousin and uncle.

 Then I arrived party over kids and the party began. HA HA.. Hunk was with me and we hug around for a few days and he had to get his butt back to work.  So we took him to the airport and peeled out of there as quickly as possible we drove home talking about how I would miss him and picked up the kids and headed up the hill to Vail.

Here we are in Vail..... LOVE GOING HERE...  was a little different than our trip with just the two of us last time but we had a great time.

Great thing about having a sister who is a professional photographer is that you get great photos, bad thing is she is usually not in them (unless she sets the timer)..

After all the stress that has been going on with graduation, college applications, wedding planning, becoming a mother in law and soon to only have two rugrats left at home this wasn't Maui for a month is a great vacation.

Still determined to find and keep my Aloha......even if it is in Colorado!

Graduation photos are almost done being edited (my sister has been slammed with her own photography business work and/or vacationing with me so she is being SLOW)..

Yes, Tami, I called you slow......Do you still love me? ;-)

So what are your summer 2011 plans??  My next one is camping.  I can't wait to be filthy and bathe and wash dishes in lake water!!

Ciao Bellas~

~Momma~